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Mason City, Iowa - 9 schools
An equity score of 69/100 ranks Mason City Comm School District #60 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,108 per pupil, Mason City Comm School District ranks #25 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,598
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$15,108
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Mason City Comm School District operates 9 public schools serving 3,598 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 2 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Cerro Gordo County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,108 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 33 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 44.1% local, 44.8% state, and 11.2% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 69/100, ranked #60 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 284.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 40.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 68.8% White, 12.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Roosevelt Elementary School, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
Its largest campus is Mason City High School, enrolling 891 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Mason City Virtual Academy, at 88 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Mason City High School accounts for 24.8% of all Mason City Comm School District student enrollment
That concentration means Mason City Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Mason City Comm School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities
Mason City Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 88 students (lowest) to 891 students (highest), a spread of 803 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Mason City Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 285:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Mason City Comm School District is typically wider than the Mason City Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Mason City Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 40.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Comparisons are relative to Mason City Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Iowa
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Mason City Comm School District?
Mason City Comm School District has 9 schools, including 2 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 3,598 students.
How much does Mason City Comm School District spend per student?
Mason City Comm School District spends $15,108 per student. The district has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #60 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Mason City Comm School District?
Mason City Comm School District students are 68.8% White, 12.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Mason City Comm School District?
Mason City Comm School District has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #60 out of 303 districts in Iowa.